Is working from home challenging?

In a conversation with a client today who is new to the ‘work remote’ reality, his biggest complaint was the number of meetings and calls he had to take throughout the day which made it difficult to actually get work done. When I asked if he felt there were more meetings than when everyone was working in the office, he said ‘definitely.’

I suspect some of this is that many of these people would just walk into someone’s office for a quick chat or update and it was over and done with. Now a meeting is actually being schedule for that.

As with most initiatives, new and different ways of doing business needs to be embraced from the top of the organization. Keep an open line of communication with your staff to understand what is working for them and what can be improved upon in this new reality. If it’s too many meetings scattered throughout the day, see if you can implement hours that are ‘meeting free’ to let staff actually get work done. Perhaps meetings can be scheduled between 9 and noon or 1 and 3. Obviously there will be meetings which need to happen outside these hours but those should be the exception. Bear in mind offices in a different time zone to make it fair for all.

Another thing to consider is that many of your employees now have children at home and they are their responsibility.   If only one parent is working, this is less of an issue. However, if both are now working remotely, one of them likely needs to be minding the child(ren) at any given time. Ask your employees which of them are in this position and be mindful of that.

Working from home is easier than ever with technology today. With 30-minute, one hour or two hour or more commutes now out of the equation, you are likely getting more productivity out of your staff….it just may not be during ‘normal’ working hours.

It is important to keep an open dialogue and ensure what you are expecting of your staff is realistic for them.

Here’s some tips for those fortunate to still be working and who have jobs and companies where they can work from home: 

 1.      Get started early. This is especially true for those with children at home who might be sleeping in. Get up and get at it BEFORE those meetings start and before the house rises. This is a great time to focus uninterrupted.

2.      Keep a morning routine. While you are not going into an external office, you ARE going to work. As someone who works regularly from a home-based office, I get ready as I would for an external office (although my attire might be more casual). Get up at a regular time, shower (if you do that daily), get dressed (OK, so not in a suit and tie but maybe not in your pjs), get your coffee or tea and be ready to work.

3.      Structure your day. And this is very important. It is easy to fall into the trap of getting distracted by emails and calls and competing work priorities. Schedule time in your day to look at and answer emails, to return calls, etc. and block off time to focus and actually get work done.

4.      Find a dedicated work space. This may be easier said than done if two of you are working remotely and live in a 500 square foot Toronto condo. But it is important. One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard is that people are uncomfortable….in uncomfortable chairs and without a dedicated work space. Set up in your kitchen or your dining room in the morning and then ‘close up shop’ at dinner time. Invest in a good chair or alternate chairs…from an office chair or kitchen chair or stool to an exercise ball, etc. Read my earlier post about getting up every hour to exercise….this is key.

5.      Change up your work space.  I would normally say not to stay at home all the time and to visit other places where you can work but….that is out now. So I will say, stay at home. Once the warmer weather comes, work on your deck or patio or balcony.

6.      Social media is a huge time waste. Remove them from your browser shortcuts. Fast Company recommends you log out of every account. You might even consider working primarily in a private or incognito browser window to ensure you stay signed out of all your accounts and each web search you conduct doesn’t autocomplete the word you’re typing. You won’t be tempted into taking too many social breaks during the day. If you need to gradually wean yourself off social media, make a pact NOT to check on your laptop but to do so on your phone. Then keep your phone in another room and get up once an hour to check it while you stretch!

7.      Work when you are most productive. If you can choose when to work, work when you are at your best. Maybe it is before everyone in your household gets up….maybe it’s when the kids are in bed or at naptime. Save your harder tasks for when you know you are in the right headspace for them. Use slower points to knock out the easier tasks.

8.      Plan your work and work your plan. Perhaps at the end of your work day, plan how your next day will look. What meetings and calls do you have? When and how will you schedule your ‘head down’ work time? Sure things change; but if you can schedule out your day or even your week, you can achieve those small successes and complete those projects, getting them out of the way.

9.      Use technology to stay connected…but only use it as necessary. Calling colleagues with each and every question can be distracting to them and cost you productive work time. Schedule a regular update call so you can tackle all of your questions. Also, use technology to ensure you are connected to your staff and they have what they need…in terms of both work and their personal lives. Understand these are challenging times and ensure your team knows you are there for each other.

10.  Communicate your expectations with those at home with you.  Let them know when you need to focus and not be distracted and when it is OK to get your attention. We are all in the same boat working from home (and we are indeed fortunate if we are working and if we are working from home vs. having lost our jobs or having to still go into the office). Know that it is okay NOT to be working every minute of every single day. Take time for your family and for yourself. Schedule breaks and lunch times.

These are uncertain and frightening times but we will get through this together. Give thanks if you do still have your job and the luxury of working from home. Follow these tips and communicate with your manager and colleagues if you are finding it challenging. This is the new normal and we are still trying to find the best solutions for all....and that might well be different for all of us.